Analyze with KIMPLODES: You're gonna lose your queen. So what!
KIMPLODES is an acronym for a human-oriented, systemic approach to analysis. [Acronyms are just shorthand for those moments when we're too lazy to spell something out. To be fair, acronyms are supposed to make it easier for us carbon-based units to remember a list of items.]
In KIMPLODES:
- K = King safety,
- I = Initiative,
- M = Material,
- P = Pawn structure,
- L = Lines,
- O = Officers (the knights and bishops),
- D = Development,
- E = Energy (ifyk, yk...if not, look at the list of links at the bottom), and
- S = Space and Squares.
You can see why we didn't want to spell it out!
This post offers an analysis of a game played by IM Attila Turzo, co-author of our chessable.com book on how to analyze using KIMPLODES! We'll analyze a game involving a queen sacrifice, then offer some similarly themed puzzles for your amusement. Some of the puzzles will come from other games, otherwise it would be too easy.
Links providing additional information on KIMPLODES are found after the post's end.
Back to TopThe Players: Nemeth versus Turzo
Six Puzzles 🧩🧩
Links to Other chess.com Material on KIMPLODES
Nalan Zemeth is an Irish FM, born in 2002. His peak rating was 2341 in March 2025. He had a disastrous August, losing 120 rating points to sink to 2206 in September 2025. From there he bounced back a bit but has slumped again to 2234 as of March 2026. Quite unfortunate given that he achieved his second IM norm in this very tournament. He scored 5W-4D-0L to take first place. This game saw him avenging a defeat to Attila in January 2025, another game in which Attila sacrificed a queen, but with far better results!
Attila Turzo (@AttilaTurzo) is a Hungarian IM, coach, streamer, and author, born in 1978. His peak rating was 2415 in 1998, but that has since slipped to 2245. He is co-author of our chessable.com book KIMPLODES! A Systemic Approach to Chess Analysis.
I first met Attila over a decade ago and he accelerated my chess growth over the better part of a decade, resulting in my not-too-bad chess.com rapid rating of over 2300. Eventually, he inspired me to take up writing chess books. I wrote two of those solo, and we collaborated on the third book on how to analyze games, both during and after an individual game, and while preparing for future games.
I selected one of his losses for this post because it is a game that is not included in our book...plus, people shouldn't think I'm gaslighting my coach with too much praise.
Nemeth, Zalan (2258) - Turzo, Attila (2248) First Saturday 2025 - IM, Budapest, Hungary, 06.02.2025
A little discussion before we jump into the analysis.
One could spend hours on both players' ninth moves. First, White placed their bishop on b3 instead of d3. Second, Black castled kingside. Castling would have been correct if the white bishop had gone to d3, but it was incorrect with the white bishop on b3! You should record in your mental data bank that seemingly slight changes in the placement of a single piece can radically alter the status of play on the board. In this case, the reasons were not immediately apparent.
However, after White's tenth and eleventh moves, it became clear what had changed with the bishop on b3 instead of d3. From b3, the bishop supported a central pawn structure change!
Black compounded their disadvantage on move twelve by placing their queen on c7, along a file that was soon to open and allow White to gain multiple tempi against the black queen. The white rooks were practically salivating to be placed on c1.
On move seventeen, White overestimated their chances and flung a knight at the black kingside. Had Black found a precise sequence of responses to sacrifice their queen, they could have created a material and positional imbalance that left three results on the board (that is, each side would have retained winning chances, and even a drawn result would be possible). However, Black switched move orders before sacrificing the queen. That shift allowed White to inject an intermezzo (an in-between move) that gave White excellent winning chances.
We'll leave you now to explore how the game played out, and then examine some lessons learned. After that, some puzzles.
Lessons learned:
a. Development, pawn structure, and initiative: On move nine, Black failed to recognize that White's bishop retreat to b3 instead of d3 changed the dynamics of the game. Black needed to realize that with the bishop on b3, it was imperative to grab space and create threats on the queenside with either b5-b4 or a7-a5, before White could change the central pawn structure. Bottom line: On b3, the white bishop supported pawn breaks in the center that would not have been possible if the bishop were on d3. Had Black reacted with queenside structural changes, they could have maintained the balance.
b. Pawn structure and initiative: White correctly assessed that they needed to change the central pawn structure starting on move ten.
c. Material and initiative: White got too carried away with their advantages and tried to attack on the kingside. Black found what might have proven a game-saving exchange of their queen and a pawn for three minor pieces.
d. Material versus pawn structure, king safety, and initiative: Although Black's queen sacrifice was intuitively correct, they played the wrong move order, missing a crucial intermezzo that allowed White to ruin the black kingside. That misstep allowed White to optimize the use of the always dangerous queen with their pair of rooks to create threats that Black eventually could not overcome.
e. Material versus finding the best moves: When a queen is battling three minor pieces, it is difficult for both sides to find the best move on every move.
f. Initiative converted into material: White's long-lasting initiative was eventually converted into the material advantage of a queen and four pawns versus a rook, bishop, and three pawns.
🧩🧩#1
At this exact moment, pawn structure is a key issue but one that is not immediately obvious because the placement of the white bishop on b3 rather than d3 on the prior move actually creates quite the shift in how to assess this position.
Knowing that pawn structure is an issue, should Black:
a. Break in the center?
b. Castle to tuck the king away from potential central white pawn breaks?
c. Push the a-pawn, and if so, to where?
d. Some other move?
🧩🧩#2
Black's decision to drag the king to safety in the corner on their last move was a mistake that allows White to take advantage.
What is White's best path forward based on pawn structure:
a. Prepare to push the e-pawn by placing the rook on e1.
b. Push the e-pawn without preparation.
c. Push the a-pawn to attack black's queenside pawn chain.
White has scored just under 74% in 32 games in the DB.
Pawn structure: White is prepared to blow up the center with 11.d5 when Black's minor pieces are ill-prepared to deal with the center opening.
Initiative: White threatens both 11.e5 and 11.d5.
Assessment: White is better, but a lot of play is left in the position.
🧩🧩#3
White threatens 19. Nxd6+, 19. Rxc8, and even 19. Qxd6.
How should Black respond?
a. Resign. Perhaps after first offering a draw.
b. Move the bishop.
c. Capture the knight.
d. Some other move.
e. Take a bathroom break and consult the phone some cheater left in the middle stall. NOT recommended!!!
f. Take a bathroom break and get lost on the way back to the playing hall. As a result, lose on time in what you assure one and all was a playable position. Then stage a protest about the playing conditions and site.
Material: Black wins three minor pieces for the queen and two pawns.
Pawn structure: White's queenside majority is wounded.
Lines: Black's rooks are on decent lines.
Assessment: Roughly equal and the best Black alternative because the minor pieces are placed the most actively at the endpoint of the analysis. Three results are on the board. Black should maximize the offensive power of their assets in this middle game. As pieces are traded towards an endgame the queen's relative power increases if she cannot be restricted.
🧩🧩#4
What is White's best move to claim a secure advantage?
Material: White has a queen and two pawns versus three minor pieces.
Pawn structure: Black's disrupted kingside renders the black king much more vulnerable to checks by the white queen that allow her to create double attacks.
Assessment: A difficult position for Black to hold as White is better because of those pawn structure issues. That said, the middle game will offer White opportunities to go astray if Black can create threats against the white king.
🧩🧩#5
Nemeth, Zalan (2278) - Turzo, Attila, SixDays January 2025, Budapest, Hungary 30.01.2025
The two opponents above also crossed swords in January. A critical juncture of the game has been reached.
Find an exchange that offers Black significant opportunities!
Material: Black has a rook and two knights battling a queen and still somewhat dangerous passed pawn.
Assessment: Black's pieces are not yet well coordinated, and the white queen will look for chances to fork two loose pieces in a position where Black cannot save both. But there is no immediate threat to Black. If Black consolidates, they should have good winning chances as the black king seems quite secure against potential perpetual checks.
🧩🧩#6
NN - Kevin, weekly chess club online blitz tournament, 05.02.2024
Material: Black has two pawns in hand.
Should Black:
a. Play 13...Qa3 to prepare flight along the **a**-file.
b. Play 13...Bxc3 to play with rook, bishop, and two pawns against a queen.
c. Play 13...Qxc3 to play with bishop, knight, and two pawns against a queen.
d. Any of the above, they're all about the same...aren't they??
e. I cheated and read the notes below the puzzle, so the answer was really easy. Sigh. Be proud of yourself, no matter what.
In the final position, Black's idea is ...Nd7-c5-d3.
Material: Black has a bishop, knight, and three pawns for the queen, near equality in the standard point system.
Energy versus king safety: Black's minor pieces and the f8 rook are pulsating with potential energy, ready to unleash it against the unsafe White King in the center.
Development: White's Kingside pieces remain undeveloped and find it difficult to respond quickly to the immediate crises.
Assessment: Black has more than sufficient compensation for the sacrificed queen.
Actual outcome: A very similar situation happened in the game, but Black had to either make the queen sacrifice or fall a piece behind. That's all in our next book.
I hope you enjoyed the game, the analysis, and the puzzles!
1. If you'd like to read a one-page synopsis of the book, you can find that at KIMPLODES: A Systemic Approach to Chess Analysis | Chessable. Our book was released on chessable.com on 23 April 2026.
2. For a slightly deeper summary of KIMPLODES! concepts than is offered below you can click here.
3. If you want a full blog on a specific topic, for example, E=Energy (a particularly complex topic, skip it unless you want to reach FM), then click the relevant link below.
4. If you'd like to see more puzzles from individual games, then click here.
Specific KIMPLODES! Topics
M = Material Am I ahead or behind in material? The more insightful question is whether a material deficit or surplus matters.
O = Officers The minor pieces. Who has the better bishops and knights.
E = Energy Sometimes the owner of the pieces with less space enjoys tremendous latent energy, just waiting to explode in retribution for the opponent's audacity in trying to squeeze the other side.
S = Space/Squares Oversimplified, as pawns advance, they gain a spatial advantage but frequently leave behind holes the other side will try to exploit.
Additional analyses and puzzles from specific games
Analyze with KIMPLODES! Two games, 12 puzzles
Analyze with KIMPLODES! Early Black Pawn Sac Philidor's Defense
Analyze with KIMPLODES! An Evans Gambit Game & Puzzles
Analyze with KIMPLODES! K = King Safety in the Endgame! Attila Turzo beats a former World Champion!
Analyze with KIMPLODES! Exchange Sac for Virulent Passed Pawn
